The 3-D Sun? There’s an App for That!
January 11, 2010
Dr. Tony Phillips, well-known for penning Spaceweather.com and currently a consultant working with SESDA II staff, has developed a novel freeware application for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch that uses real-time observations from the twin STEREO spacecraft to give a 3-D view of the state of the Sun. Views from both the STEREO Ahead and Behind spacecraft are blended together onto a spherical representation of the Sun.
Users can rotate the Sun to see active regions and sunspots both on the Earth-facing side, and on the far side to see what active regions might be coming around in the next few days. If you worry about when that next big Solar flare is going to affect your GPS system or satellite TV, then this is the app for you. The app is now available for download at appshopper.com/education/3d-sun.
